Amoreena

~Lately I've been thinking how much I miss my lady
Amoreena's in the cornfield brightening the daybreak~ 

This one is a very special cloth-and-clay doll that came together in a very surprising way. I had a sudden opportunity to participate in a couple of doll events that will coincide with the NIADA conference coming up in Portland this July, but have not been making many dolls lately. I had started this one several years ago, but only had sewn and stuffed the basic body and applied the clay, then added the striped legs. I wasn't sure where it was going and lost my momentum… so sadly, her lifeless form was laying in a box for years. With little time till deadline, and wanting to bring something new to show, I picked her up again and made some quick decisions. Soon, she was guiding me and telling me what to use next.

First came the skirt, a vintage hankie once owned by my mother-in-law. It looked great with the black-and-white striped legs. Pulling the colors from that floral print, I used chartreuse sari silk and used one of my favorite techniques to wrap her upper arms and sash the upper bodice. Then I found a delicious piece of deep pink velvet ribbon attached to a large lace collar in my vintage fabrics box and clipped it free. As I worked on clipping those threads, I realized this very old velvet ribbon was also silk. Most scrumptious! It was delicate and worn in places, but I wrapped it snugly and used tiny hand stitches to hold it in place.

As I started work on this doll, the "event" I was getting her ready for, a "Tea Party" hosted by local doll artists for attendees of the NIADA conference, spawned a "pop-up" doll show which will be held for two short weeks at Guardino Gallery. Labels needed to be printed, so this piece needed a name. Playing in the background while I worked was one of my old Elton John albums, Tumbleweed Connection… specifically, a song called Amoreena. And with that, she had her name.

~Living like a lusty flower, running through the grass for hours,

rolling through the hay like a puppy child~

She told me she absolutely had to have red ballet slippers… so I painted first with black gesso, then deep crimson acrylic paint. 

~I can see you sitting eating apples in the evening,
the fruit juice flowing slowly, slowly, slowly down the bronze of your body~

She's got a black tulle petticoat to keep that skirt fluffed out, and a little touch of striped ribbon as a waist sash. The last little shiny bit is a vintage pink rhinestone button. But her crowning glory is that hair. LOVE the Tibetan lamb's curly locks. It was my first time using it, but it was a dream to work with and looks exactly perfect.

~And she dreams of crystal streams,
of days gone by when we would lean
laughing fit to burst upon each other~

(Lyrics between the ~ marks~ from the song, Amoreena, by Elton John and Bernie Taupin)

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow!

Flapper Girl... my dear, sweet, first cloth-and-clay doll... sold yesterday! She is now on her way to live in Germany, where she will be in good company... in a large collection of other dolls and marionettes. I'm thrilled, but sad... always sad to let go. Maybe someday I'll get to go visit her? Until then... in my dreams...

Showing off her antique lace undies with a little hip shimmy.

Anon, little darling!

Corazon... she is finished!

Corazon is finally complete. Finishing touches include a wide purple grosgrain sash, a wire hanging loop in back and a final coat of spray acrylic varnish to seal painted surfaces.

Be sure to check out my previous blog post to see all the nitty-gritty work-in-progress photos.

Corazon

This is not the first doll I've made since doing Jane DesRosier's (aka "Gritty Jane") cloth-and-clay doll workshop, but is the first I've made from Jane's pattern. I call her Corazon... as she was inspired by Frida Kahlo and especially by my sitting for many hours drooling over the book, Self Portrait in a Velvet Dress: Frida's Wardrobe: Fashion from the Museo Frida Kahlo. 

I knew I would have to give this doll a long full skirt with a deep flounce of antique lace at the hem. Aside from that, I know she doesn't resemble Frida much, except for the slight homage in the hairstyle and red rose accessory. Here are some WIP photos... am still actually adding more finishing details and getting her ready to list.